Oxygen is a highly reactive molecular species. Unchecked, it can damage tissues, cells, proteins, and DNA and trigger a cascade of dangerous downstream chain reactions that can culminate in cell death and increased oxidative stress in particular tissues.
But reactive oxygen species do not go unchecked. Living organisms have evolved a vast network of complex antioxidants that counterbalance oxidative-induced molecular destruction by, for example, decreasing localized concentrations of un-reactive oxygen or by scavenging free radicals that would otherwise promote formation of highly reactive species.
Many green vegetables, fruits, plants, and crops are known to produce a myriad different antioxidants. Accordingly, to push the balance of competing oxidative interests more toward the antioxidant side of the equation, and thereby promote a healthy condition, it is thought to be desirable to eat antioxidant-rich plant products or to augment in vivo antioxidant levels by regularly taking appropriate dietary supplements.
Since oxidative stress typically is associated with the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegeneration, it also is thought desirable to ingest antioxidants to combat or minimize the damaging effects of those diseases on the body.
A problem is that there do not exist many plants, vegetables, fruits, or products thereof that are naturally highly rich in antioxidants. Furthermore, when those plants and products are processed and cooked, the levels of antioxidants that ultimately remain in the foodstuff is severely undercut. Moreover, what little antioxidant remains available in the food still has to be timely absorbed into the body. Accordingly, the absence of a large reservoir of antioxidants in the starting plant material is detrimental to the overall concept of antioxidant-induced health and disease resistance vigor.
The present invention provides a genetic approach to solving this problem. Genetically modified potato plants of the present invention produce tubers with highly increased levels of at least one antioxidant.